Ob7e Ge Imchap010

Chapter 10: Power and Influence in the Workplace
Instructor’s Manual to Accompany

Organizational Behavior 7/e
(Global Edition)
by Steven L. McShane and Mary Ann Von Glinow
Chapter 10:
Power and Influence
in the Workplace
Prepared by:
Steven L. McShane, The University of Western Australia
Page 10-1
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Power and Influence
10 in the Workplace
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Describe the dependence model of power and the five sources of power in organizations.
2. Discuss the four contingencies of power.
3. Explain how people and work units gain power through social networks.
4. Describe eight types of influence tactics, three consequences of influencing others, and
three contingencies to consider when choosing an influence tactic.
5. Identify the organizational conditions and personal characteristics associated with higher
organizational politics, as well as ways to minimize organizational politics.
CHAPTER GLOSSARY
centrality – a contingency of power referring to the inoculation effect -- A persuasive communication

degree and nature of interdependence between the strategy of warning listeners that others will try to
powerholder and others. influence them in the future and that they should be
wary about the opponent’s arguments.
charisma -- A personal characteristic or special “gift”
that serves as a form of interpersonal attraction and legitimate power -- an agreement among organizational
referent power over others. members that people in certain roles can request certain
behaviors of others.
coalition -- A group that attempts to influence people
outside the group by pooling the resources and power Machiavellian values -- The belief that deceit is a natural
of its members. and acceptable way to influence others and that getting
more than one deserves is acceptable.
countervailing power -- The capacity of a person, team
or organization to keep a more powerful person or norm of reciprocity -- A felt obligation and social
group in the exchange relationship. expectation of helping or otherwise giving something of
value to someone who has already helped or given
impression management -- the practice of actively
something to you.
shaping our public images.
organizational politics -- Behaviors that others perceive
influence -- any behavior that attempts to alter
as self-serving tactics at the expense of other people and
someone’s attitudes or behavior.
possibly the organization.
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persuasion -- the use of facts, logical arguments, and social networks -- Social structures of individuals or
emotional appeals to change another person’s attitudes, social units that are connected to each other through one
usually for the purpose of changing the person’s or more forms of interdependence.
behavior.
structural hole -- An area between two or more dense
power -- the capacity of a person, team, or organization social network areas that lacks network ties.
to influence others.
substitutability – a contingency of power referring to the
referent power -- The capacity to influence others based availability of alternatives.
on an identification with and respect for the
upward appeal -- A type of influence in which someone
powerholder.
with higher authority or expertise is called upon in
social capital -- The knowledge and other resources reality or symbolically to support the influencer’s
available to people or social units (teams, organizations) position.
from a durable network that connects them to others.
CHAPTER SUMMARY BY LEARNING OBJECTIVE

10-1 Describe the dependence model of power and the five sources of power in organizations.
Power is the capacity to influence others. It exists when one party perceives that he or she is dependent on the
other for something of value. However, the dependent person must also have countervailing power—some power
over the dominant party—to maintain the relationship, and the parties must have some level of trust.
There are five power bases. Legitimate power is an agreement among organizational members that people in
certain roles can request certain behaviors of others. This power has restrictions, represented by the target person’s
zone of indifference. It also includes the norm of reciprocity (a feeling of obligation to help someone who has
helped you), as well as control over the flow of information to others. Reward power is derived from the ability to
control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative sanctions. Coercive power is the ability
to apply punishment. Expert power is the capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills that they
value. An important form of expert power is the (perceived) ability to manage uncertainties in the business
environment. People have referent power when others identify with them, like them, or otherwise respect them.
10-2 Discuss the four contingencies of power.

Four contingencies determine whether these power bases translate into real power. Individuals and work units are
more powerful when they are non-substitutable, such that there is a lack of alternatives. Employees, work units,
and organizations reduce substitutability by controlling tasks, knowledge, and labor and by differentiating
themselves from competitors. A second contingency is centrality. People have more power when they have high
centrality, which means that many people are quickly affected by their actions. The third contingency, visibility,
refers to the idea that power increases to the extent that a person’s or work unit’s competencies are known to
others. Discretion, the fourth contingency of power, refers to the freedom to exercise judgment. Power increases
when people have the freedom to use their power.
10-3 Explain how people and work units gain power through social networks.
Social networks are social structures of individuals or social units (e.g., departments, organizations) that connect to
one another through one or more forms of interdependence. People receive power in social networks through
social capital, which is the goodwill and resulting resources shared among members in a social network. Three
main resources from social networks are information, visibility, and referent power.
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Employees gain social capital through their relationship in the social network. Social capital tends to increase with
the number of network ties. Strong ties (close-knit relationships) can also increase social capital because these
connections offer more resources more quickly. However, having weak ties with people from diverse networks can
be more valuable than having strong ties with people in similar networks. Weak ties provide more resources that
we do not already possess. Another influence on social capital is the person’s centrality in the network. Network
centrality is determined in several ways, including the extent to which you are located between others in the
network (betweenness), how many direct ties you have (degree), and the closeness of these ties. People also gain
power by bridging structural holes—linking two or more clusters of people in a network.
10-4 Describe eight types of influence tactics, three consequences of influencing others, and three contingencies to
consider when choosing an influence tactic.
Influence refers to any behavior that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes or behavior. The most widely studied
influence tactics are silent authority, assertiveness, information control, coalition formation, upward appeal,
impression management, persuasion, and exchange. “Soft” influence tactics such as friendly persuasion and subtle
ingratiation are more acceptable than “hard” tactics such as upward appeal and assertiveness. However, the most
appropriate influence tactic also depends on the influencer’s power base; whether the person being influenced is
higher, lower, or at the same level in the organization; and personal, organizational, and cultural values regarding
influence behavior.
10-5 Identify the organizational conditions and personal characteristics associated with higher organizational
politics, as well as ways to minimize organizational politics.
Organizational politics refer to influence tactics that others perceive to be self-serving behaviors, sometimes
contrary to the interests of the organization. It is more common when ambiguous decisions allocate scarce
resources and when the organization tolerates or rewards political behavior. Individuals with a high need for
personal power and strong Machiavellian values have a higher propensity to use political tactics. Organizational
politics can be minimized by providing clear rules for resource allocation, establishing a free flow of information,
using education and involvement during organizational change, supporting team norms and a corporate culture
that discourages political behavior, and having leaders who role model organizational citizenship rather than
political savvy.
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LECTURE OUTLINE (WITH POWERPOINT® SLIDES)

Power and Influence in the Workplace
Power and Influence in

the Workplace
Slide 1
Whale Power at JP Morgan

Through unconstrained power and influence, a handful of traders
(including infamous London Whale) in the London bureau of JP
Morgan’s chief investment office produced a mammoth $7 billion loss.
Whale Power at JP
Morgan
Slide 2
The Meaning of Power

The capacity of a person, team, or organization to influence others
• Power is not the act of changing someone’s attitudes or behavior – it
is only the potential to do so
The Meaning of Power
Slide 3
• People may have power they don’t use – may not even know they
have power
• Power is based on the target’s perception that the powerholder
controls a valuable resource
• Power involves unequal dependence of one party on another party
Power and Dependence
The less powerful party still has some degree of power – called
countervailing power:
• Capacity of a person, team, or organization to keep a more powerful
Power and Dependence person or group in the exchange relationship
Slide 4
• Person A dominates the power relationship, but Person B has enough
countervailing power to keep Person A in the exchange relationship
• Power relationships depends on some minimum level of trust
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Model of Power in Organizations

Power is derived from five sources
The model also identifies four contingencies of power
Model of Power in
Organizations
Slide 5
Deference to Authority: Le Jeu de la Mort

French reality television recently revealed how far people are willing to
submit to authority. In a variation of the 1960s experiments conducted
by Stanley Milgram, only 16 of the 80 contestants refused to administer
Deference to Authority:
Le Jeu do la Mort
the strongest shocks (460 volts – enough to kill a person) when
Slide 6 another contestant gave the wrong answers. Fortunately, the other
contestant was an actor whose screams were fake; he did not actually
receive the shocks.
Legitimate Power
• Agreement that people in certain roles can request certain behaviors
of others – a perceived right or obligation
• Based on job descriptions, but also on mutual agreement
Legitimate Power • Zone of indifference
Slide 7
• Range of behaviors granted deference to authority
• Varies with individual, company, culture (power distance)
• Increases with trust in the power holder
• Norm of reciprocity
• Felt obligation to help someone who has helped you
• Legitimate power because an informal rule of society
• Information control -- right to distribute information to others
• Generates power in two ways
1. Dependence -- others depend on distributor for valued information
2. Selective distribution of information frames the situation, which affects
others’ attitudes and decisions
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Expert Power
Capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills valued
by others – originates from within the person
Expert Power Perceived ability to manage uncertainties

Slide 8
Organizations operate better in predictable environments, so value
those who can reduce uncertainty
Three types of expertise that cope with uncertainty:
1. Prevention – e.g. ability to prevent the organization from experiencing a
cash shortage
2. Forecasting – e.g. predicting changes in consumer preferences
3. Absorption – e.g. ability of maintenance crews to come to the rescue after
an equipment breakdown
Other Sources of Power

Reward power -- Control over the allocation of rewards valued by
others and to remove negative sanctions
Other Sources of Power Coercive power -- ability to apply punishment
Slide 9
Anyone might have reward and coercive power, not just managers
Referent power
• Capacity to influence others through identification with and respect for
the power holder
• Occurs when others identify with them, like them, or otherwise
respect them
• Associated with charisma – personal characteristic or special “gift”
that serves as a form of interpersonal attraction and referent power
over others
Contingencies of Power
Four contingencies of power that influence whether sources of power
generate power (or not)
Slide 10
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Increasing Nonsubstitutability
Substitutability – availability of alternatives
More power when few/no alternatives to the resource:
Increasing
Nonsubstitutability Reduce substitutability through:
Slide 11 • Monopoly over resource -- e.g. employee have undocumented
information about business operations that no one else possesses
• Controlling access to the resource -- e.g. professions control access
to the occupation
• Differentiating the resource -- e.g. consultants “package” services to
look unique
Other Contingencies of Power
Centrality
• Degree and nature of interdependence with powerholder
• Higher centrality when (a) many people affected and (b) quickly
Other Contingencies of
Power affected
Slide 12
Visibility
• You are known as holder of valued resource
• Increases when visible to others (face time)
• Increases with display of power symbols (e.g., diplomas, photos,
special clothing (physician garb)
Discretion
• The freedom to exercise judgment
• Rules limit discretion – selective use of rewards and punishment
• Perception of discretion – people with high internal locus of control
act as if they have discretion
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Power Through Social Networks

Social networks – people connected to each other through forms of
interdependence
Power Through Social Social networks generate power through social capital – goodwill and
Networks resulting resources shared among network members
Slide 13
Social networks provide three types of resources (power):
• Information – receive valuable knowledge more easily and more
quickly, which improves the individual’s expert power
• Visibility – members more easily remember other members when
opportunities arise
• Referent power – network members have common beliefs, identity,
trust -- more reciprocity
Social Network Ties
Strong ties:
• Close-knit relationships – frequent interaction, share resources,
multiple relationships (friend, co-worker)
Social Network Ties
Slide 14
• Advantage – offer resources more quickly and plentifully
• Less unique – strong ties links know each other so have similar
information (high redundancy)
Weak ties:
• Acquaintances
• Advantage -- offer unique resources from others and link to others
with low redundancy (good for career job hunting)
• Disadvantage -- resources transmitted more slowly, lower visibility
Many ties:
• Resources increase with number of ties
• Limits on number of weak/strong ties one can create
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Social Network Centrality

Person’s importance in the network
Three factors in centrality:
Social Network 1. Betweenness – the extent to which you are located between others
Centrality in the network e.g. gatekeeper who controls the flow of information
Slide 15
to and from many people in the network
2. Degree centrality – number or percentage of connections you have
to others in the network
3. Closeness – higher closeness occurs when a member has a shorter,
more direct, and efficient path or connections with others in the
network
Example: “A” has highest network centrality due to all three factors: “B”
has lowest centrality
Influencing Others
Influence is any behavior that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes or
behavior
• Applies one or more power bases to change others’ beliefs, feelings,
Influencing Others decisions, behavior
Slide 16
• Essential activity in organizations
• Coordinate with others
• Part of leadership definition
• Everyone engages in influence
Types of Influence
Silent authority
• Person complies with request without overt influence
• Due to requester’s legitimate power as well as the target person’s
Types of Influence
Slide 17 role expectations
• Most common form of influence in high power distance cultures
Assertiveness
• Vocal authority – actively applying legitimate and coercive power to
influence others
• e.g. persistently reminding an employee; using threats or sanctions;
checking employee’s work
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Types of Influence (con’t)

Information control
• Manipulating someone’s access to information in order to change
their attitude or behavior e.g. withholding, filtering, re-arranging
Types of Influence
(con’t) information
Slide 18
Coalition formation
• Pools power and resources of many people
• Symbolizes legitimacy – represents broad support
• Taps into social identity process – informal group advocates a new
set of norms and behavior
Upward appeal
• Calling upon higher authority or expertise or symbolically relying on
those sources to support the influencer’s position
Types of Influence
(con’t) • Different forms
Slide 19 ➡ Actually asking authority for a decision, sign of support
➡ Implying senior management support without formally involving them (e.g.
referring to firm’s policies/values/goals)
Persuasion
• Using facts, logical arguments, emotional appeals to change attitudes
• Persuader characteristics
➡ expertise, credibility, neutrality
• Message content
➡ multiple viewpoints, few strong arguments, repeat points, emotional
appeals, offer solutions, inoculation effect
• Communication medium
➡ media-rich channels
• Audience
➡ less persuaded when high self-esteem, intelligence, self-concept tied to
opposing view
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Impression management
• Actively shaping our public image
• Self-presentation --crafting or public image to shape perceptions
Types of Influence
(con’t) • Ingratiation – attempt to increase liking by or perceived similarity to,
Slide 20 some targeted person e.g. agreeing with the boss’s proposal
Exchange
• Promise of benefits or resources in exchange for compliance
• Integral influence tactic in:
➡ negotiation
➡ norm of reciprocity
➡ social networks
Consequences of Influence
Resistance
• People oppose the behavior desired by the influencer
• Refuse, argue, or delay to engage in the behavior
Consequences of
Influence
Compliance
Slide 21
• Motivated to implement influencer’s request, usually minimal effort
• Requires external sources (e.g. rewards) to prompt the behavior
Commitment
• Strongest outcome of influence
• Identify with the influencer’s request
• Highly motivated without external incentives
Consequences of Influence
Hard influence tactics
• Rely on position power – legitimate, reward and coercion
• Tend to produce compliance or resistance and may undermine trust
Consequences of
Influence Soft influence tactics
Slide 22
• Rely on personal sources of power (expert, referent) – more likely to build
commitment to the influencer’s request
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Contingencies of Influence
“Soft” tactics generally more acceptable than “hard” tactics
Appropriate influence tactic depends on:
Contingencies of 1. Influencer’s power base – e.g. people with expertise may be
Influence
successful using persuasion; people with strong legitimate power
Slide 23
base may be successful using silent authority
2. Organizational position – whether person being influenced is higher,
lower or at the same level in the organization e.g. employees may
face consequences be being too assertive with their boss
3. Personal, organizational, and cultural values
• Assertiveness more likely in those with strong power orientation
• Persuasion more likely in firms with a learning orientation culture
Organizational Politics
Behaviors that others perceive as self-serving tactics for personal gain
at the expense of other people and possibly the organization
Organizational Politics Minimizing organization politics
Slide 24 1. Scare resources -- ensure sufficient resources
2. Clear and simple decision rules
• Ambiguity fuels political behavior
• Common issue in organizational change -- need to communicate, train,
involve to minimize ambiguity
3. Reinforcing behavior
• Avoid rewards and leader role modeling that encourage political tactics
Power and Influence in the Workplace
Power and Influence in

the Workplace
Slide 25
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SOLUTIONS TO CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1. What role does countervailing power play in the power relationship? Give an example of one of your own
encounters with countervailing power at school or work.
Countervailing power is the power that the dependent person or group has over the more powerful party in the
relationship. This power is weaker than the other party’s, but it is strong enough to keep the more powerful party
in the relationship.
For example, although your boss probably has the greater power in the work relationship, you have countervailing
power by providing skills and knowledge that the company (and your boss) needs. This countervailing power is
sufficient to keep you employed.
At school, instructors typically (although not always) have more power over students. Students have
countervailing power, however, in several ways. First, students are customers, and without them, instructors
wouldn’t have work. Second, teacher ratings that students provide influence the instructor’s self-esteem and often
salary. Third, student behavior influences the instructor’s ability to present knowledge in an effective way. If
students are disruptive, the instructor cannot accomplish his or her goal.
2. Until recently, a mining company’s data resided in the department that was responsible for that information.
Property data were on the computers in land administration, hydrocarbon data were in the well administration
group, maps were found in the map department, and so on. The executive team concluded that this
arrangement was dysfunctional, so the CEO announced that all information would be placed on a central server
system so it is widely accessible. If someone needs a color map, for example, he or she can retrieve it from the
central server without going through the map department. Rather than welcome the change, employees in
several departments complained, offering several arguments why other groups should not have direct access to
their data files. Some departments tried to opt out of the centralized server system. Using the model of sources
and contingencies of power, explain why some groups opposed the central server model of data access.
This incident actually occurred in a resources company and was a major challenge for those implementing the
change. Students should answer this question by breaking it down into the power sources and contingencies.
The main source of power at issue here is legitimate power and, in particular, control over information control.
Each group had unilateral control (monopoly) over the distribution of the knowledge within their department (e.g.
maps in the map department). Students should also recognize that employees elsewhere have legitimate power to
request that information, and the department probably has an obligation to fulfill that request. However, these
departments still experience power through the requesting process. Furthermore, if someone asks in an
inconsiderate way, the department might fulfill the request more slowly or incompletely. Some students might also
suggest that the old system generated more expert power. Because the information was housed in one group, they
would likely have more detailed knowledge of that resource.
Equally important as the sources of power are the contingencies of power in this incident. One key contingency is
nonsubstitutability. Under the old system, each department had a monopoly over the resource and possibly gained
special knowledge on how to access that resource. As such, they were almost nonsubstitutable. Under a central
server system, on the other hand, information is easily ands quickly accessible by employees elsewhere, so the
department staff lack control over the resource and therefore are more substitutable. Students would also point of
centrality as a key factor. Under the old system, department staff affected others, whereas they likely have less
immediate affect or on fewer employees when those people can retrieve the information without department
assistance. Visibility might also play a role here because bypassing a department means they are less connected to
the data and therefore less visible. Some students might also argue that discretion is relevant her,e such as that the
department staff previously had discretion about whether, how, and when to release information. However,
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discretion is a relatively minor issue because the department ultimately had an obligation to distribute the
knowledge.
3. You have just been hired as a brand manager of toothpaste for a large consumer products company. Your job
mainly involves encouraging the advertising and production groups to promote and manufacture your product
more effectively. These departments aren’t under your direct authority, though company procedures indicate
that they must complete certain tasks requested by brand managers. Describe the sources of power you can use
to ensure that the production and advertising departments will help you make and sell toothpaste more
effectively.
As brand manager, you might be able to use most sources of power, depending on the circumstances. Here are
some possible explanations.
Legitimate Power. Although you do not have direct authority, you do have some legitimate power through the
rules and procedures saying that the advertising and production groups must work with you to sell soda biscuits
more effectively. If they refuse to cooperate, you have the legitimate right to seek redress from higher authorities.
Reward Power. You probably don’t have direct control over merit increases or other financial rewards for the
advertising and production people, but you do have reward power by using praise. Moreover, you might
indirectly have reward power by making favorable comments about certain employees to more senior line
managers who make financial reward decisions for advertising and production staff members.
Coercive Power. You can make life difficult for advertising and production people by constantly nagging them for
the promised work, or by criticizing their work. Indirectly, you can report to senior management about the poor
performance of some people, which may affect their employment security. Although these forms of coercive power
are available, you should be aware that these actions carry risks such as lack of future cooperation from advertising
and production people.
Expert Power. You have just been hired, so it is unlikely that the advertising or production people believe that you
have much expertise. You might develop this source of power in the long term, however, by learning about
effective brand management practices and applying impression management tactics to shape their opinion of your
expertise. For example, you might gain expert power more quickly by being seen with someone whose expertise is
respected.
Referent Power. As a recent hire, it is unlikely that you currently have much, if any, of this power base over
advertising and production employees. Moreover, given your different background, it is difficult to develop
referent power with these groups. However, you might find common experiences (schools attended, hobbies) with
some people in those departments, or you might develop common experiences by frequently interacting and
networking with these people.
4. How does social networking increase a person’s power? What social networking strategies could you initiate
now to potentially enhance your future career success?
Social networking increases an individual’s power in three ways:
Information access. You receive more valued information from others because there is trust among networkers to
share information. Networks increase the volume as well as the speed of information received.
Visibility. Networks makes you more salient to key decision makers. Your skills come to mind more quickly among
network members than if you are not within the network. This visibility increases your potential power because it
is a contingency of power.
Referent power. Other network members identify more with you or at least have more respect and trust in you, so
they are more motivated to agree to your wishes.
As a student, you could use networking now to enhance your future career success. Students can cultivate social
relationships with others who may be in a position to use their skills in the future. For example, by leading a
Marketing club in your faculty that invites Marketing professionals to serve as guest speakers you would be
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gaining valuable contacts that may be able to hire you in the future. Students may also network with faculty and
staff in the effort to ensure their skills and talents are recognized. In this way, students may be better positioned to
receive valuable personal references that may assist with future job search efforts. Students may also successfully
develop and maintain valuable contacts with other students. This network may benefit the individual by providing
a source of potential employers and organizational contacts throughout the individual’s career.
5. List the eight influence tactics described in this chapter in terms of how they are used by students to influence
their college instructors. Which influence tactic is applied most often? Which is applied least often, in your
opinion? To what extent is each influence tactic considered legitimate behavior or organizational politics?
This question presupposes that students do and can influence instructors. Here are some of the ideas and examples
that tend to arise with this question, based on the eight types of influence tactics discussed in the chapter:
Silent Authority. This is probably the weakest form of influence. One example, however, would occur where a
student waits outside an instructor’s office to meet the instructor. If the instructor is meeting with someone else or
is on the telephone, he/she probably feels a degree of recognition of obligation to meet the waiting student as soon
as possible. For example, the instructor might speed up to finish an otherwise leisurely telephone conversation.
Assertiveness. Although a risky strategy, some students assert their concerns and demands for fair treatment after
receiving a poor grade. They might urge the instructor to review the paper more carefully, remind the instructor of
certain rules or criteria against which the paper should have been judged, and so forth.
Exchange. Students often negotiate with instructors, with varying degrees of success. For example, a student might
agree to be the first to give a presentation to class if he/she can submit a paper a few days later than the due date.
Coalition formation. This strategy occurs when the instructor is about to do (or has already done) something that
opposes the interests of some students. For example, one group of students approached the first author several
years ago because they were fourth year students yet had received lower grades on a mid-term than many second
year students who happened to be attending the same class. The idea was that if four people feel the same inequity,
it must be a serious matter.
Upward appeal. Upward appeal isn’t so much about appealing one’s grade in a normal appeal process (although it
could fall into this category). Rather, this strategy refers to the threat of approaching higher authority, or implying
that higher authority already agrees with the student. One example could occur when a student says he casually
mentioned his/her concern to the Associate Dean, who generally agreed that the instructor’s actions were
unacceptable. Another example could occur where students remind the instructor of certain philosophical
standards at the college which would encourage the instructor to take one action rather than another action. A
third example could occur where an upset student suggests that he/she and the instructor take the disagreement
to someone higher in the organization to get their opinion.
Ingratiation/Impression management. There are so many forms of this strategy that we cannot list them all here.
One example of ingratiation is simple brown-nosing – “Gee, professor, it’s such a privilege to take this class with
you. I waited until the semester you are teaching!” More subtle impression management occurs when a student
makes it quite clear he/she has submitted reports on time, whereas many others are late. Another student might
coincidentally carry a copy of the instructor’s latest book or most recent journal article around where the instructor
happens to notice that the student has a copy of it.
Persuasion. Presumably, this is a common strategy used by students. They might point out logical reasons why
they should be assigned to a different project team or should have an assignment handed in late without penalty,
for example.
Information control. Although this would be a relatively weak or limited strategy for students, it is possible in
some circumstances. For example, a student might claim that he/she did most of the work on a project where other
team members have not had an opportunity to correct the instructor.
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6. Consider a situation in which there is a only one female member on a team of six people, and she is generally
excluded from informal gatherings of the team. What kind of influence tactics can she use to address this
situation?
Social networks generate social capital, the goodwill and resulting resources shared among members in a social
network. A female team member in a situation as above is likely to miss opportunities and favors from team
members for both expressive and instrumental purposes and it turns out to be a limitation. Perhaps it may e useful
for her to understand the cultural situation first because socializing with male colleagues is in itself received very
differently across cultures. She needs to approach the leader of the team to update her/him of the situation and to
request for a mechanism wherein all work-related information is shared with her. She will need to be very
watchful and diplomatic in all the formal meetings.
7. In the mid-1990s, the CEO of Apple Computer invited the late Steve Jobs (who was not associated with the
company at the time) to serve as a special adviser and raise morale among Apple employees and customers.
While doing so, Jobs spent more time advising the CEO on how to cut costs, redraw the organization chart, and
hire new people. Before long, most of the top people at Apple were Jobs’ colleagues, who began to
systematically evaluate and weed out teams of Apple employees. While publicly supporting Apple’s CEO, Jobs
privately criticized him and, in a show of nonconfidence, sold the 1.5 million shares of Apple stock he had
received. This action caught the attention of Apple’s board of directors, who soon after decided to replace the
CEO with Steve Jobs. The CEO claimed Jobs was a conniving back-stabber who used political tactics to get his
way. Others suggest that Apple would be out of business today if he hadn’t taken over the company. In your
opinion, were Steve Jobs’ actions examples of organizational politics? Justify your answer.
This question refers to events in 1997 when Apple CEO Gil Amelio bought Next computers from Steve Jobs and
invited Jobs to help build morale among employees. (Jobs co-founded Apple in the 1970s but was ousted in the
1980s). Within a year, Jobs had convinced Apple’s board to oust Amelio and install Jobs as an interim CEO. (Jobs
didn’t need the position because he was already CEO of Pixar Animation Studios.)
The answer to this question is definitely open for debate. The key point here is that organizational politics is in the
eye of the beholder. Therefore, some students will agree with Amelio’s opinion of Jobs while others will disagree.
What is important is how students justify their answers based on their knowledge of material they learned in the
chapter.
Some influence tactics are obviously recognized as political tactics by almost everyone. However, other influence
activities may be viewed as political (as Amelio specifically accused Steve Jobs.) On the one hand, Jobs’s tactics
were not as above-board as one might want. He did not explicitly tell Amelio that he didn’t trust his leadership to
save Apple (which was in trouble at the time due to previous poor leadership). On the other hand, by the time
Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, he was regarded as one of the greatest entrepreneurs and leaders in business. He
turned Apple around and saved the company from almost certain demise.
8. This book frequently emphasizes that successful companies engage in organizational learning. How do
political tactics interfere with organizational learning objectives?
Selectively distributing information is one tactic that directly interferes with knowledge management. This
includes such actions as: (a) withholding damaging information or making others look good; (b) avoiding the need
to reveal information; (c) burying or obscuring damaging information; and (d) bringing in outside ‘experts’ to tip
the scales toward your preference.
Another political tactic that harms knowledge management is controlling information channels. This includes
discouraging people from directly communicating with each other, as well as altering agendas so that certain
information has little opportunity for open discussion.
Page 10-17
CASE STUDY: RESONUS CORPORATION

By Steven L. McShane, based on an earlier case written by John A. Seeger
Case Synopsis
Frank Choy recently joined Resonus Corporation, a hearing aid designer and manufacturer, as director of engineering.
Over the first eight months, he and has experienced several problems of coordination and cooperation with other work
units and individuals. In particular, CEO Bill Hunt supports Doc Kalandry’s (the Research Director) request for last
minute technology changes to the product in development. These delays cause Choy’s engineering services group to
increase their costs and ultimately fail to achieve their time deadline for completing the engineering specifications for
this product.
Suggested Answers to Case Questions

1. What sources and contingencies of power existed among the executives and departments at Resonus?
Students can analyze this case by examining the power dynamics among the key players, particularly Doc and
Choy. The key issue here is why Choy and his team are unable to fulfill their work obligations of completing the
engineering specification on time.
Clearly, Doc Kalandry wields tremendous power, so his wishes are usually fulfilled, Doc’s power is through
expert power and referent power. Hunt (and others) recognize Doc as an authority on the product’s technology.
Furthermore, Hunt claims this expertise is a key factor in the company’s success. Doc also seems to have referent
power, at least among some staff. His over-the-top enthusiasm and optimism is compelling. Doc also seems to have
referent power over Hunt because of Hunt’s apparent identification with Doc’s department, where Hunt held his
first job at Resonus.
Doc also has all four contingencies of power in his favor. Hunt considers Doc unique and irreplaceable
(nonsubstitutable). Doc has considerable discretion because Hunt trusts his actions and allows him to ignore
product development deadlines and other rules/procedures. Doc’s visibility is strong, due to his direct informal
reporting relationship with the CEO and his quirky style (personal brand). Doc and his team also have
considerable centrality. when they make changes and cause delays, Choy and other are directly and immediately
affected. Similarly, if their product development efforts are poor, the company suffers in the marketplace.
In contrast, Choy and his engineering services team have limited power. He is new to the organization, so has no
referent power. He would have expertise to secure his senior position at Resonus, but this expertise isn’t
mentioned by Hunt or in the case. the case also refers to perceptions that Choy’s team lack expertise (“We
shouldn’t have to prove our ability all the time, but we spend as much time defending ourselves as we do getting
the job done.”) The organizational chart indicates that Doc reports to Choy, but this legitimate power does not exist
in practice because of the informal reporting relationship from Doc to CEO Hunt.
Regarding contingencies of power, Choy and his team have centrality -- their work affects production, sales, and
others. However, this centrality does not extend to Doc or his team (i.e. they are unaffected by Choy’s work). But
Choy seems to have limited discretion. He can’t dictate deadlines to Doc, his team needs to receive and respond to
whatever doc’s team provides, and they can’t act without the output from Doc’s team. Students might note that
Choy has visibility. However, Choy’s visibility is not about his sources of power. rather, he and his team have been
visible for failing to achieve the set deadlines. This is not the “visibility” of one’s power referred to in the power
model.
Overall, Doc has considerably more power than does Choy, so Doc’s actions take priority and Choy’s team is
unable to achieve their work objectives.
Page 10-18
2. What influence tactics were evident in this case study? Would you define any of these influence activities as
organizational politics? Why or why not?
The information about influence tactics in this case is more limited. Choy does not take any steps to influence
others. On the contrary, he holds back, fearing that he might end up in the same boat has the previous two
directors. Doc relies on persuasion, silent authority (his expertise), and possibly impression management to
influence Hunt. Hunt relies mainly on silent authority, such as urging others to be more cooperative. But he also
relied on assertiveness when firing the previous director of engineering. The sales director also seemed to rely on
assertiveness, such as when he became furious with Choy.
3. Suppose you are a consultant invited to propose a solution to the problems facing this organization’s product
delays. What would you recommend, particularly regarding power dynamics among the executives and
departments?
Almost every student first recommends that Doc should report to Choy and not to Hunt. In other words, Hunt
should enforce the organizational chart (in which Doc is a direct report to Choy, not to Hunt). This is a valuable
suggestion for debate, but it might not solve the underlying power dynamics problems.
If Doc was required to report only to Choy, Doc might quit if Choy demanded strict time schedules. More likely,
Hunt would side with Doc if the conflict became manifest (Doc might report to Choy, but Hunt would logically be
the final arbitrator when the two disagree.) Alternatively, knowing Hunt’s desire for innovation at any cost and for
his admiration of Doc (i.e. Doc’s referent power over Hunt), Choy might also give in to Doc’s poor time
management of product development. Finally, Choy might have limited capacity to reject Doc’s requests for last-
minute changes because Doc’s group seems to have more perceived expertise than does Choy or his engineering
services group. Thus, public opinion would quickly shift away from Choy if he used his legitimate authority over
Doc.
A more likely solution for Choy here is a two stage strategy. First, Choy should use (initially subtle) persuasion
tactics on Hunt regarding the value of production deadlines. Choy might show the costs of late product
completion schedules, or he might refer to the collapse of other companies because they consistently released
products that were late and flawed due to last-minute changes. Choy might be able to have Hunt speak with CEOs
of other firms that have discovered the value of production schedule deadlines ands the false benefits (or high
risks) of making last-minute changes. Choy might also find subtle ways to let Hunt and others know about Choy’s
expertise, which would give him more power and influence, and would improve his persuasiveness.
If the first stage (persuasion approach) is unsuccessful, Choy might have to apply the second stage, which is to be
more assertive in his influence and less avoidance-oriented in his conflict handling style. Choy needs to assert the
importance of product development deadlines while using a problem-solving style to resolve the requirement of
these deadlines with Doc’s need to add new technology at the last minute. Quite likely, the interests are perfectly
opposing, so Choy would revert to a more forceful style. Compromise might not work because Doc seems to
ignore any middle ground options.
Additional Case Question on Conflict

Resonus Corporation is also an excellent case for discussion of the sources of conflict as well as ineffective conflict
handling tactics. Conflict is discussed in the next chapter, so this additional question should be assigned only when the
conflict topic has been covered.
4. Analyze this case in terms of the sources of conflict and conflict handling styles. Your answer should also
briefly identify incidents of manifest conflict.
There is clear evidence of conflict in this case. Choy is experiencing conflict with Doc Kalandry and with CEO Bill
Hunt, even though the conflict is not manifest and Doc and hunt might not be aware of this conflict. Choy
perceives that Doc’s actions are interfering with the engineering services’ ability to perform their job, such as
Page 10-19
completing engineering specification on time. Hunt is also a partner in this conflict because of his support for
Doc’s requests.
Most structural sources of this conflict are at work here:
• Incompatible goals -- Doc and Hunt want to push new technology into the product, whereas Choy and his
department want to get the engineering specifications ready on time. As Doc adds more technological changes
to the product, Choy’s group is less able to achieve their goals.
• Differentiation -- Doc and Hunt seem to value innovation and have low priority for timeliness or predictable
production scheduling.
• Interdependence -- Choy’s team is dependent on Doc to prepare the final product design work. This seems to be
sequential interdependence because the work is passed from Doc’s group to Choy’s group, not back and forth.
• Scarce resources -- The main scarcity here is time. Doc is using up time that Choy’s team needs to get the
specifications completed for production.
• Ambiguous rules -- Although the company has some clear procedures for handover of work, these structural
rules and processes are not followed. Hunt allows Doc to ignore the product development schedule. Hunt also
discourages bureaucracy (rules and procedures), preferring informal relationships among the managers (i.e. give
and take), which makes the rules and regulations less clear.
• Communication -- Less central to this case, but some communication problems exist in that managers are not
forming a mutual understanding of their differences. for instance, Choy wants to raise his concerns to Hunt (and
possibly to others), but does not do so.
In addition to these structural sources of conflict, the case illustrates the problem of the avoiding style of conflict.
the avoiding style is clearly emphasized by CEO Bill Hunt (“I’m sure we can resolve these differences if we just
learn to get along better” and “I spent too much time smoothing out arguments”). The problem with Hunt pushing
this style is that the underlying causes of the conflict (see the conflict sources above) are not addressed, which
results in frustration, stress, and late deadlines.
Page 10-20
TEAM EXERCISE: DECIPHERING THE

NETWORK
Purpose
This exercise is designed to help students interpret social network maps, including their implications for organizational
effectiveness.
Materials
The instructor will distribute the three social network diagrams to each student. These student handouts are provided
over the three pages following these instructor notes. Ideally, print these diagrams in color.
Instructions (Smaller Classes)

The instructor will organize students into teams (typically four to seven people, depending on class size). Teams will
examine each social network diagram to answer the following questions:
1. What aspects of this diagram suggest that the network is not operating as effectively as possible?
2. Which people in this network seem to be most powerful? Least powerful? What information or features of the
diagram lead you to this conclusion?
3. If you were responsible for this group of people, how would you change this situation to improve their
effectiveness?
After teams have diagnosed each social network map, the class will debrief by hearing each team’s assessments and
recommendations.
Instructions (Larger Classes)

This activity is also possible in large classes by projecting each social network diagram on a screen and giving students
a minute or two to examine the diagram. The instructor can then ask specific questions to the class, such as pointing to
a specific individual in the network and asking whether he or she has high or low power, what level of centrality is
apparent, and whether the individual’s connections are mainly strong or weak ties. The instructor might also ask
which quadrant on the map indicates the most concern and then allow individual students to provide their
explanation why.
Comments for Instructors

This activity can be very engaging, particularly after students have read this chapter or attended the lecture on the
basics of social network analysis. Here are suggested answers for each of the three social network diagrams:
Bank Consultants
This diagram shows that the three consulting groups have limited informal networking with each other, which implies
limited communication, collaboration, or information sharing. A high degree of networking exists within two of the
groups (business services and information systems), but relatively low networking within the organizational
consulting group (where four distinct clusters are apparent). This diagram identifies a few individuals with
considerable centrality, particularly the information systems group person at the bottom left of that group. Most of the
organizational consulting group seems to have fairly low power through networking (the most powerful seems to be
the person at far right of that group), but the lowest power is apparent among a few employees at the top far left of the
information systems group. One person (possibly a newcomer) has no network linkage. This diagram suggests that if
any collaboration exists, it is occurring somewhat more between the business services and organizational consulting
group.
Page 10-21
Retail Managers
This diagram shows informal networking (communication) among district managers, the four regional directors, and
the vice-president. One important observation is that the diagram suggests the organization is quite hierarchical,
because many employees interact mainly through the formal reporting ties. In the top right and bottom left groups, for
example, two managers in each group network only with their boss. Furthermore, regional directors communicate
mainly with their boss (vice-president); only two regional managers have any meaningful networking with other
regional managers. Students should notice the lack of networking from district managers to the vice-president, likely
another strong indicator of strong hierarchical culture. Interestingly, there is one exception, and that individual also has
several connections with peers both within and between regional groups.
Another observation is that the degree of networking among district managers is varied and generally low. The bottom
right group is particularly well networked within the group (several connecting lines that are also short) but still
minimal ties with people in other regions. Coincidentally, this regional director is also the most networked with other
directors, suggesting that this director is a savvy networker who encourages the same among staff. In contrast, the top
right group has minimal networking, implying that cohesion among district managers within this region is quite low.
In fact, one manager in this group has stronger connections to district managers in the adjacent (top left) group,
suggesting perhaps that this individual may have recently transferred from that group.
This diagram suggests that the regional directors tend to be the most powerful because information flows through
them (high betweenness) to people in other regions. The bottom right director seems to be the most powerful among
these, both in the number of connections (high degree) and direct connection to two other regional directors (higher
betweenness). Those with the least power are the several district managers with only one link, invariably to their
regional director.
Two Merged Firms

This diagram reveals that the integration of the two merged firms is far from successful. Financial professionals
continue to interact mainly with their peers from the same previous firm. The diagram shows some ties with people
from the other organization, possibly due to work requirements, but these ties are typically limited and weak. The
“Company 1” analysts are peripheral in the clusters dominated by “Company 2” analysts, and vice versa.
Student should observe a second noteworthy feature of this network structure, namely that the Company 2 analysts
seem to be much better networkers than are the Company 1 analysts. This is apparent by the number of ties and short
distance in those ties among Company 2 staff. Why this difference? Most likely, Company 2 staff enjoyed a culture of
networking and high social cohesion, whereas Company 1 was less so.
This diagram shows a few very powerful individuals, particularly the two people near the middle center and bottom
center of the exhibit. Not surprisingly (given the observations above), all of the most powerful people through
networking were former Company 2 staff. The Company 1 staff universally have little centrality (few ties, long ties,
limited betweenness), so they have the least networking power.
Page 10-22
three consulting groups. The bank’s leaders want these groups to

This diagram is a fictionalized adaptation of the informal network
work closely together to collectively serve the bank’s divisions

among internal consultants in a large bank. The image shows
Social Network Exhibit 1: Bank Consultants
eﬀectively.
Page 10-23
Social Network Exhibit 2: Retail Managers
Page 10-24
This diagram is a fictionalized version of the informal network among all district managers and regional
directors of a national retail organization. The regional managers report to the regional directors, who report to
the vice-president. The executive team wants district managers to actively network with each other so they
share information, learn from each other, and develop a level of cohesion within and across regions so they
form a strong identity with their leadership roles and with the organization.
Social Network Exhibit 3: Two Merged Firms
This diagram is a
fictionalized version of the
informal network among
financial professionals in
two small investment fund
firms that merged within the
Page 10-25
past year. The managing
partner’s goal is to develop
a “highly networked”,
integrated organization,
where analysts work and
share information together
without any special
allegiance to their pre-
merger colleagues.
TEAM EXERCISE: MANAGING YOUR BOSS
Purpose
This exercise is designed to help students apply influence tactics to real situations, in this case influencing people
above them in the hierarchy.
Materials
None.
Instructions (Smaller Classes Only)

The instructor will organize students into teams (typically four to seven people, depending on class size). Teams will
identify specific strategies to influence people above them in the organizational hierarchy. Teams should consider each
of the various influence tactics to determine specific practices that might change the attitudes and behavior of their
bosses. During this team discussion, students should determine which influence tactics are most and least appropriate
for managing their bosses. Teams should also consider relevant concepts from other chapters, such as perceptions
(Chapter 3), emotions and attitudes (Chapter 4), motivation (Chapter 5), and (if already covered in the course) conflict
(Chapter 11).
The class will regroup, and each team will present specific recommendations for influencing people in higher
positions.

This activity receives very active discussion in MBA classes, as well as in classes where students have had a reasonable
amount of work experience. However, it is an excellent learning activity even for those without work experience
because it requires them to think through the sources and contingencies of power.
Some editions of this book have a Global Connections feature that provides some information about how to manage
bosses. This feature is a good starting point because it highlights several key strategies. But there are many upward
influence practices that could not be packed into that case study. Students might answer this assignment by working
through the sources and contingencies of power. Here are some ideas organized in that way:
Sources of Power
Reward power: Be an asset, not a liability to your boss. Do your job well. Be solution-oriented, not problem-oriented.
Discover and offer strengths that you have to aid your bosses weaknesses (e.g. working with numbers when your boss
is less numbers-oriented). Adapt to your boss’s style and values. For example, discover how your boss prefers to
communicate and use that approach (which gives your boss more positive experiences).
Referent power: Build the relationship by discovering similarities (common past, interests, etc). Build trust by being
reliable (trustworthy -- e.g. fulfill promises). Help convey your boss’s competencies to others (i.e. help your boss
develop his/her career opportunities -- a form of indirect ingratiation). Try to think more like your boss -- increase
your empathy of his/her situation and convey that awareness.
Legitimate power: Clarify mutual expectations with your boss (work standards, work capacity). This ensures that you
are doing what your boss expects and you have a right to oppose requests that fall outside those boundaries. Find
ways to develop reciprocity, such as by supporting your boss when that support is needed (and appropriate). By
coming to his/her aid, your boss may feel more reciprocal obligation to help you in future.
Expert power: Develop new knowledge that makes your boss more dependent on you (e.g. develop a social network
with others in the company that provide insight into the company that your boss would value.) Use your knowledge
and experience to persuade your boss when necessary.
Page 10-26
Coercive power: Coercive power should never be used directly when managing your boss. It may occur indirectly
when your boss becomes dependent on you and you legitimately cannot assist (e.g. vacation, other work deadlines).
However, you should also develop an exit strategy when you eventually realize that your boss is a problem. If your
boss puts undue pressure on you (and others) or engages in severe bullying tactics, use the exit strategy before you lose
your boss’s favor.
Nonsubstitutability: In subtle ways, let your boss discover your unique knowledge and abilities, inferring that you are
the “go to” person for that knowledge or skill. Keep up to date in your professional knowledge so you have more
value than others in your position.
Visibility: Introduce yourself to your new boss. Be sure you show up to meetings and events where your boss is
present. Speak up for your boss when the opportunity arises at meetings (and where the boss’s position is valid). Use
subtle symbols in your workspace to demonstrate your value to the organization and possibility similarities to your
boss (e.g. same school, home town).
Centrality: In some situations, it may be appropriate and desirable to arrange your work such that you boss is quickly
affected if you are unavailable to perform it. For example, be the key person to provide information in executive
reports or to assist with new projects. In other words, create a situation where your boss quickly realizes your value
when you aren’t available to assist (vacation, busy on other projects, etc).
Discretion: It is less clear how employee discretion plays a role in managing your boss.
Page 10-27
SELF-ASSESSMENT: HOW DO YOU

INFLUENCE COWORKERS AND OTHER
PEERS?
Purpose
This exercise is designed to help students understand different forms of influence when working with coworkers (i.e.,
people at the same organizational level), as well as estimate their preference for each influence tactic in this context.
Instructions
Students are asked to think about the occasions when a coworker disagreed with them, opposed their preference, or
was reluctant to actively support their point of view about something at work. These conflicts might have been about
company policy, assignment of job duties, distribution of resources, or any other matter. Students are asked what they
did over the past six months to try to get the coworker to support your preference? (Note: Students who have not been
in the workforce recently can complete this self-assessment exercise thinking about influencing another student instead
of a coworker.)
Feedback for the Coworker Influence Scale

Influence refers to any behavior that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes or behavior. There are several types of
influence, including the eight measured by this instrument. This instrument assesses preferences for using each type of
influence on coworkers and other people at a similar level as the respondent’s position in the organization.
Persuasion: Persuasion refers to using logical and emotional appeals to change others’ attitudes. This is one of the
most widely used influence strategies toward others in any position (e.g., co-workers, bosses, subordinates).
Silent authority: The silent application of authority occurs when someone complies with a request because the target
person is aware of the requester’s legitimate or expert power. This influence tactic is very subtle, such as making the
target person aware of the status or expertise of the person making the request.
Exchange: Exchange involves the promise of benefits or resources in exchange for the target person’s compliance with
your request. This tactic also includes reminding the target of past benefits or favors with the expectation that the
target will now make up for that debt. Negotiation is also part of the exchange strategy.
Assertiveness: Assertiveness involves actively applying legitimate and coercive power to influence others. This tactic
includes demanding that the other person com- ply with your wishes, showing frustration or impatience with the
other person, and using threats of sanctions to force compliance.
Information control: Information control involves explicitly manipulating others’ access to information for the
purpose of changing their attitudes and/or behavior. It includes screening out information that might oppose your
preference and embellish- ing or highlighting information that supports your position. According to one survey, more
than half of employees believe their co-workers engage in this tactic.
Coalition formation: Coalition formation occurs when a group of people with common interests band together to
influence others. It also exists as a perception, such as when you convince someone else that several people are on your
side and support your position.
Upward appeal: Upward appeal occurs when you rely on support from people higher up the organizational hierarchy.
This support may be real (senior management shows support) or logically argued (you explain how your position is
consistent with company policy).
Ingratiation: Ingratiation is a special case of impression management in which you attempt to increase the perception
of liking or similarity to another person in the hope that they will become more supportive of your ideas. Flattering the
co-worker, becoming friendlier with the co-worker, helping the co-worker (with expectation of reciprocity), showing
support for the co-worker’s ideas, and asking for the co-worker’s advice are all examples of ingratiation.
Page 10-28
Scores on the eight Coworker Influence Scale dimensions range from 3 to 15. Higher scores indicate that the person has
a higher preference for and use of that particular tactic. Norms vary from one group to the next. The following table
shows norms from a sample of 225 MBA students. Most are from Australia, but some completed courses in Singapore
and many of these people originate from other regions (Europe, South America, Asia, North America). The average age
is about 31 years old and two-thirds would be male. To read this chart, consider the top 10 percentile for Assertiveness.
The score is 9, indicating that 10 percent of people score 9 or above and 90 percent score below 9 on this dimension.
Keep in mind that these scores represent self-perceptions. Evaluations from others (such as through 360-degree
feedback) may provide a more accurate estimate of your preferred influence tactics.
Coworker Influence Scale Norms

Silent
Percentile Persuasion authority Exchange Assertiveness
Average Score 12.3 9.7 7.4 5.8
Top 10 percentile 15 12 10 9
Top 25th percentile 14 11 9 7
Median (50th percentile) 12 10 8 5
Bottom 25th percentile 11 8 6 4
Bottom 10 percentile 10 7 4 3
Coworker Influence Scale Norms (con’t)

Information Coalition Upward
Percentile control formation appeal Ingratiation
Average Score 7.3 8.0 7.9 8.8
Top 10 percentile 10 11 11 12
Top 25th percentile 9 10 9 11
Median (50th percentile) 7 8 8 9
Bottom 25th percentile 6 6 6 6
Bottom 10 percentile 5 4 5 5
Page 10-29
BONUS CLASS EXERCISE: BINGO

NETWORKING (U.S. EDITION)
Purpose
To improve student networking by practicing how to learn how to meet and quickly acquire information from other
people.
Materials
Distribute the Bingo card with rules in the student handout sheet to every student. Be sure students have a pen or
pencil to initial other students’ Bingo cards. This activity requires sufficient space for small group social interaction.
Instructions
This exercise is similar to classic Bingo except the boxes are filled with initials of other people in class who satisfy the
condition in that box. For example, only students who have ridden a horse within the past five years can initial the
third box under “G”.
Before beginning the game, you need to decide how the game should end and how or whether it is won. The classic
option is that the game ends when one person calls out “Bingo” (i.e. first person to have initials along a row, column, or
diagonal). However, this approach can be too rushed for networking. Alternatively, announce that the game ends after
a set time (e.g. 20 minutes) and the winner(s) are those with the most completed rows, columns, and diagonals. A third
option is not to have winners at all. Instead, focus on the debriefing topics.
Distribute the Bingo sheets to students and explain the rules to them:
Formally introduce yourself to each person you meet (e.g. say your name, shake hands).
You cannot volunteer information about yourself, only answer specific questions asked (NOT “Which of these
boxes apply to you?”).
When someone satisfies one of the boxes, get that person to initial the box.
You cannot initial any boxes on your own card.
The goal is to get initials along one or more entire rows, columns, or diagonals.
Be sure students understand that their interaction with others should be more like a conversation than an urgent
treasure hunt. Although the information should be collected quickly, it should also occur respectfully. This includes
ending the conversation politely.

Although students will be focused on getting their Bingo cards initialed, the debriefing should focus on the fine art of
approaching people and either providing or receiving valuable information from them quickly, yet respectfully. Ask
students how they accomplished this and what they would do differently to improve their respectfulness or efficiency
at getting information. Discuss the all-important first statement after the person introduces themselves. Also, be sure
the consider the interesting dynamic where both parties are seeking different information from each (i.e. they likely
have different objectives for the conversation). Finally, consider the delicate task of withdrawing from the conversation.
This is likely less of a concern in this activity (where both parties are eager to discover the traits of other people), but
there is an element of politely ending the conversation.
Source: Bingo networking is based on a widely discussed activity with no known original source.
Page 10-30
STUDENT HANDOUT
CLASS EXERCISE: BINGO NETWORKING (U.S. EDITION)
B I N G O
Fluently speaks one Has visited any Has paddled a Has traveled by Has the letter “X” or
of the Asian library or library web canoe or kayak vehicle across eight “Z” in his/her name.
languages. site within the past within the past 12 or more states on
7 days. months. one trip within the
past 5 years.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
Has a family Has NOT used a Has a dog or cat Is carrying foreign Has baked a pie or
member who cell/mobile phone and at least one (non-US) currency cake within the past
worked in the today or yesterday. other pet where he/ on them right now. year.
military for 5 or she lives.
more years.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
Watched most of Has played a Has ridden a horse Visited a Facebook

the most recent musical instrument within the past 5 website within the
Superbowl. to a public years. past 24 hours.
audience. FREE SPACE!
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
Has NOT drank Has snow or water Travelled to Europe Sent a Twitter Has read a mystery/
coﬀee within the skied within the past within the past 24 “tweet” in the 48 crime novel within
past month. year. months. hours before this the past year.
exercise started.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
Ever worked at Visited any Central Has a motorcycle Has eaten a bowl of Participated in yoga
McDonald’s or American country license. Cioppino within the or Pilates within the
similar fast food (below Mexico) past year. past 2 months.
restaurant chain. within the past 5
years.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
RULES
1. Formally introduce yourself to each person you meet (e.g. say your name, shake hands).
2. You cannot volunteer information about yourself, only answer specific questions asked (NOT “Which of these boxes apply to you?”).
3. When someone satisfies one of the boxes, get that person to initial the box.
4. You cannot initial any boxes on your own card.
5. The goal is to get initials along one or more entire rows, columns, or diagonals.
Page 10-31

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Chapter 10: Power and Influence in the Workplace

Instructor’s Manual to Accompany

Power and Influence

centrality – a contingency of power referring to the inoculation effect -- A persuasive communication

CHAPTER SUMMARY BY LEARNING OBJECTIVE

10-2 Discuss the four contingencies of power.

LECTURE OUTLINE (WITH POWERPOINT® SLIDES)

Power and Influence in

Whale Power at JP Morgan

The Meaning of Power

Model of Power in Organizations

Deference to Authority: Le Jeu de la Mort

Expert Power Perceived ability to manage uncertainties

Other Sources of Power

Power Through Social Networks

Social Network Centrality

Types of Influence (con’t)

Types of Influence (con’t)

Power and Influence in the Workplace

Power and Influence in

SOLUTIONS TO CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

CASE STUDY: RESONUS CORPORATION

Suggested Answers to Case Questions

Additional Case Question on Conflict

TEAM EXERCISE: DECIPHERING THE

Instructions (Smaller Classes)

Instructions (Larger Classes)

Comments for Instructors

Two Merged Firms

three consulting groups. The bank’s leaders want these groups to

work closely together to collectively serve the bank’s divisions

TEAM EXERCISE: MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Instructions (Smaller Classes Only)

Comments for Instructors

SELF-ASSESSMENT: HOW DO YOU

Feedback for the Coworker Influence Scale

Coworker Influence Scale Norms

Average Score 12.3 9.7 7.4 5.8

Top 25th percentile 14 11 9 7

Median (50th percentile) 12 10 8 5

Bottom 25th percentile 11 8 6 4

Coworker Influence Scale Norms (con’t)

Average Score 7.3 8.0 7.9 8.8

Top 25th percentile 9 10 9 11

Median (50th percentile) 7 8 8 9

Bottom 25th percentile 6 6 6 6

BONUS CLASS EXERCISE: BINGO

Comments for Instructors

CLASS EXERCISE: BINGO NETWORKING (U.S. EDITION)

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